The Cotinus Around My Farm
Smoke bushes, Cotinus, are among my favorite of small trees - they have superlative color, appealing form, and look excellent in the gardens.
I always try to incorporate unique and interesting plantings into all my gardens. I have many smoke bushes around my Bedford, New York farm - in the sunken garden behind my Summer House, around my pool, in the beds outside my Tenant House, where my daughter and grandchildren stay when they visit, and near the front entrance to the property, where family and friends can see their beauty right away.
All the smoke bushes are looking so gorgeous and lush - enjoy these photos.
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- Cotinus, also known as smoke bush and smoke tree, is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. This one is a royal purple smoke bush with its stunning dark red-purple foliage that turns scarlet in autumn and has plume-like seed clusters, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze to the branch tips.
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- If you visited my blog yesterday, you saw these growing young smoke bushes along the allee in my lower hayfield. Smoke bushes look great in the landscape and are a pretty choice for massing or for hedges.
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- Here is a wider view – this allee will look so stunning when the London Planes and smoke bushes are mature.
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- I also have Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ growing along the outside of my pool fence. These are mixed in with a collection of Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo.’ Physocarpus, commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America and northeastern Asia.
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- The leaves of the smoke bush are about one-and-a-half to three inches long and ovate, or oval like, in shape.
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- Here, these leaves have turned a beautiful purple-red color.
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- The name “smoke bush” derives from the billowy hairs attached to the flower clusters which remain in place through the summer, turning a smoky pink to purplish-pink as the weeks progress.
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- These smoke bushes are on one side of my Summer House garden terrace. Some varieties have more purple red shades while others come in lime green to gold.
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- This one in the back of the Summer House garden is showing off brilliant light colored plumes.
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- Smoke bushes should be planted in full sun, but they do well in almost any soil type and most any pH level. The ideal circumstance is slightly sandy loam, but they can thrive in rocky soils. The important thing is to plant them where the soil drains well. This smoke bush is planted in the garden outside my Tenant House. This garden is actually called the Stewartia garden, where I also have many Stewartia trees – not surprising, of course, since my name is “Stewart.”
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- In colder climates, where winter winds can damage the plants, it’s also a good idea to plant smoke bushes where they can be protected. When grouping plants, they should also be well spaced to give them enough room to grow.
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- When planting, always dig a hole twice the size of the root ball to give the roots plenty of space to expand. And keep the plant from drying out, especially during its first growing season. Remember, it must be properly established before it can begin exhibiting its drought-tolerant abilities.
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- Here is a grouping of smoke bushes growing outside my main greenhouse – they are so lush. The spectacular foliage emerges lime green and stands out so beautifully above the hostas.
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- Nearby are the smoky plumes of green and pink varieties.
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- The only mandatory pruning is to remove dead or damaged wood, but the shrubs will also tolerate hard pruning to shape them or rejuvenate them if needed.
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- These fine, feathery, flower plumes remain attractive for many weeks from now to fall.
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- This Cotinus has an upright habit when young and spreading wider with age. The flowers are deep-pink, feathery, and beaded.
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- Here is a closer look at one of its light, delicate plumes. I hope this inspires you to plant a smoke bush in your garden – it is easy to care for and provides so much natural beauty in return.
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